Lael Burns ART Habens my work that I think results from the process of translating deep spiritual realities and experiences into tangible , visual art objects . I guess its a line I enjoy riding that helps in establishing a sense of dichotomy that is a foundational aspect of my work . At the age of 12 I started really exploring visual art as a means of survival and expression amid dark family circumstances . I remember being so taken by the painterly indulgences of abstract expressionism with artist like DeKooning while finding myself also very intrigued with my own therapeutic , precise pencil renderings of the magnolia buds and other organic matter that covered my front yard growing up . I was also influenced early on strongly by Chong Chu and Jon Millet , two of my art instructors during high school , both practicing artists who ’ s work pulls from both representation and abstraction in terms of figure / ground relationships and rich , symbolic imagery . When I was in college I was introduced to the detailed biological illustrations of Ernst Haeckel and the lush organic paintings of Terry Winters . Although my influences have of course expanded over the years , its this dance between representation and abstraction that I was so intrigued with early on that still drives many of the formal aesthetics my work .
How does one actually describe , for example , the experience of faith , repentance , or rebirth in a visually concrete way ? Since I ’ m not interested in making illustrations about religious concepts but rather maps and documents of my actual experiences and revelations , I often utilize the gap between representation and abstraction as the rich open metaphorical space and potential I need in order to convey such personally potent such matter in a meaningful way . In Patterned Root , we see a delicate root hovering vulnerably in an soft , safe space , nest possibly intruding yellow flames . The root figure is mostly encapsulated in a soothing blue covering that is simultaneously both fire and water . The patterned flame that partially covers the root is a picture of embrace , beauty , and adornment . There is a balance between obsessively planned details and intuitively discovered relationships . In Undone , there is a delicate organic form surrounded by layers of sugary sweet watercolor ,
21 473 Special Issue